


Nightmares

by orphan_account



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M, references to self harm and death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-28
Updated: 2012-11-28
Packaged: 2017-11-19 18:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/576154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The nightmares are the hardest part of being a profiler, you can't fight them. The one thing that helps Derek and Spencer is each other</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightmares

Spencer had been sleeping peacefully, his lover’s strong arms around him, one under his neck, the other holding him against the others muscular chest. However, a sudden jolt woke him, followed closely by another. He looked around and in the dim sliver of a streetlight sneaking through the smallest gap in the curtains; he saw Derek’s face, twitching sporadically. All he could do was sigh, it happened too often to both of them, a side effect of the job they had both chosen. When you make a career out of trying to rescue people from the darkest sides of humanity, all too often those who you could not save entered their minds while they slept, the only place where rational and diversion tactics were of no use. 

“Ellie.” The older murmured, Spencer knew this was not going to be an easy night, the murder of Spicer and the kidnap of Ellie by Billy Flynn, aka the Prince of Darkness, still got to Derek. Ellie had been saved; she had found her mother, but the fear in her face, the tears as she watched her father die, just as Derek had watched his own, Spencer knew that Derek would always be connected to that little girl, like him to Nathan Harris, Adam Jackson or Sammy Sparks. There were cases that stayed with them always. The one’s they would never escape. 

“Derek, she’s safe, you kept your promise. It’s alright.” He said soothingly, turning around to face his lover. 

“Flynn.” Derek’s eyes were firmly shut, but Spencer could see the two streams of tears on the other man’s face. 

“You shot him, he’s gone, and he can never hurt her again. She’s safe, remember, Garcia found her mother. She is with family.” He repeated over and over, trying to settle Derek. 

“Spencer!” Derek’s eye shot open filled with fear. 

“Right here Derek.” 

“She’s safe?” 

“Safe, you made sure of it. You kept your promise.” Spencer smiled kindly. 

“Why is it one of the better endings haunts me the most.” Derek put both of his hands to his face in frustration. 

“I don’t know. I saved Nathan Harris’s life, but I still see the crimson blood flowing from his wrists in my nightmares. We can’t save everyone and sometimes those we do save are often too broken to forget. But thankfully Ellie is not broken; she will be okay, someday.” 

“She emailed me yesterday, she’s starting Junior High.” 

“A year early, she’s smart.” Spencer shifted onto his back as Derek placed his head on the lither man’s neck, letting himself be draped in light brown hair that was beginning to curl once more. 

“I worry this job will destroy me. Promise me you’ll be there if it does.” Derek pleaded. 

“As long as your there for me too.” Spencer moved Derek so that he could be the one to place his arms protectively around the older man. 

Sleep did not come easy to either man for the remainder of the night, both haunted by their own demons.


End file.
